last sunday, i gave myself a treat and went out to the PARA Anniversary in Marikina. i told A that i was going and she generously let me.

actually, my purpose was just to take a little peep as i have never attended one. photos during the event seemed to show that it was a hell lot of fun. another reason was to register my radio during the amnesty granted by the NTC at the event. sayang ang matitipid.

i went straight to the amnesty booth to get my radio registered and while waiting, i met people from DX3C. a pity i didn’t remember their callsigns but i’d really love to hear them when i stay in DU3 during the christmas break.

i digress. so after registration, i was told to claim my modified license on thursday. so off i went to look at the booths in the event. and GRABE… i was drooling over all the little things i saw. parang batang nasa candy store ang feeling!!! batang walang pera. huhuhuhu

di naman nasayang ang paghihintay ko, though. during the afternoon, a session was set for morse code or “CW” in ham speak. novices were taught 10 letters and asked to transcribe at around 8 letters per minute. the proficient-level hams had a contest and they were transcribing at 25 words per minute! what does that sound like? watch here:

amazing diba? i think i’m making this a life goal… i actually implicitly put this in my 100 Dreams list because to be a Class A ham, you need to pass the 5 wpm exam.

during the last moments of the event, i chanced upon Sherwin, a “batchmate” at the PARA seminar and passed the exams as DY1ZBV! i was so relieved to have met someone i knew in the event. he went with his clubmates from DX1CI (COMPASS Inc.) and that’s when i realized what i was missing: the camaraderie. i was a “lone wolf” and ham radio wasn’t as much fun when you keep to yourself and just listen. you have to learn how to interact with other people… and THAT is what i have to learn too.

so maybe now that my son is a bit older, i can be more active in the hobby and perhaps join a club. (DX1M seems to be quite inactive and its members too spread out) we’ll see.

it’s being dubbed as “Black Friday” coinciding with the traditional black friday in the US. However, it’s a different kind of black friday in the philippines.

yes, i’m anti-Marcos. but at the same time, i’m keeping my ears open to those who want Marcos buried at LNMB.

may have decided that the supreme court could have been a beacon of light for this kind of dilemma. that it has failed the people of the country and the countless victims of martial law.

i, on the other hand, am not too quick to draw that conclusion. i still (begrudgingly) agree with the decision because of the reasons cited in the ponente. however, the part i cannot accept in the decision is the reasoning that Marcos is “just a human who erred”.

putting salt in boss’ coffee instead of sugar is erring like a human. putting cyanide makes you a murderer. repeating it every time the boss is replaced makes you a psychopath.

yes, TECHNICALLY, he can be buried. but is it the right thing to do?

the problem with the law, it talks of legality but not morality. what may be legal could be morally wrong e.g. slavery in days past. and it is indeed beyond the supreme court to decide what is “right” vs. what is legal.

what i really want now is for the president to listen to the people protesting, because it is in his hands now. perhaps if we can convince him that the healing he was hoping for only exacerbated the pain of martial law.

so that is why i wore black today. i’m not protesting the supreme court decision. i’m protesting that Tatay Digong would listen to us, and not just the elite and those to whom he is indebted to.